What is cloud computing?

Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud is everywhere. Cloud computing is not just the latest fad or buzzword – this is a shift from traditional software and hardware based models to dynamic internet based environments. This shift has gained momentum across industries and looking to the future you are going to witness more and more cloud development in everything from business solutions to online gaming.

Cloud computing or “the cloud”, is the act of storing, managing or processing your data online instead of on your own computer, network or server. This can be the delivery of software, databases, networking, analytics and more. Cloud solutions are pay-as-you go and on demand, like a water or electricity bill to your home; they are scalable, elastic and accessible on any device, anywhere.

If you are using Google Drive to edit documents, playing PlayStation Now online, or speaking with friends on Skype you have been using cloud systems.

Types of Cloud Deployment:

There are typically 4 types of deployment: public, private, hybrid or dedicated server – the key question is where does your application work best?

Public Cloud: is a shared hosting environment for non-sensitive, public facing operations and unpredictable traffic – like a website. Low cost and scalable it is generally lower performing and less secure than the other options.

Private Cloud: all the scalability of the public cloud, with the increased security of a dedicated environment. Designed for sensitive and business critical operations. High performance, secure with predictable costing. This cloud infrastructure is operated solely for one organization and is not shared.

Hybrid Cloud: a combination of public, private and dedicated servers for the best of all worlds. Predictable, secure, high performing and scalable. For instance, you can host your sensitive information on a private environment and less critical resources can be held in other environments.

Dedicated Servers: a physical server for predictable workloads that require enhanced security and control. Dedicated servers are tailored for large businesses, organizations that require exceptionally high levels of data security and require their servers running 24x7x365.

5 Characteristics of Cloud Computing:

The notion of cloud computing is based on 5 essential characteristics, all cloud based solutions should have these:

On demand self-service: enables a consumer to perform computer operations without requiring technical knowledge. It also allows them to make changes without engaging with another person. Users should be empowered to upload, build, deploy, schedule, manage and report on their business services on demand without raising a ticket or emailing IT.

Automation/ Rapid Elasticity: Best of breed cloud developments enable self-management via software automation. Automation capabilities are an effective way to minimize user intervention, for establishing infrastructure, configuring run-time and deploying applications. Rapid elasticity means that it is tailored to suit your immediate business needs when you need them.

Virtualization/ Resource Pooling: This is the technology provides a platform to optimize complex IT resources. Through resourcing pooling, you can simplify IT infrastructure essentially doing more with less. Organizations can scale quickly as Virtualization dynamically provides resources across servers. While your applications are completely isolated the computing resources can be pulled together and delivered to applications that need them most.

Measured Service:  Cloud solutions are inherently pay-as-you-go, you only pay for what you use. The number of resources utilized can be monitored from both sides allowing for transparency. This should help keep costs low and help you avoid hefty initial capital investments from start-up or as you scale up.

Broad Network Access: Your team can access from their smartphones and tablets as well as laptops and desktops. This facility is attractive for businesses as employees can work on their projects on the road and in the office.

Types of Cloud Service Model:

There are three types of cloud service models: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a service. (PaaS).

Software as a Service: Is probably the one you have heard most regularly. SaaS removes the need for organizations to run applications on their own computers and data centers. Instead, they can be hosted by third parties and accessed by customers over the internet.

One of the best examples of SaaS is Office 365 – which applies to all the characteristics of cloud computing. It can be accessed anywhere, anytime, on any device (Broad Network Access); It’s a pay as you go month-to-month service, you only pay for what you use (Measured Service); it is run on App-V (Virtualization); you can scale up your service as needed, when you need it (Rapid Elasticity) and (On Demand Self Service) the user can have full functionality without interaction with anyone at Microsoft.

Infrastructure as a Service: is instant virtualized computing over the internet. An IaaS model means that a third-party hosts hardware, software, servers, and storage as well as other infrastructure components on behalf of its users. The users can access and use these resources over the internet, meaning they don’t have to invest in expensive technical equipment. Common usage is web hosting, storage, backup, and recovery.

Platform as a Service:  This is a complete development and deployment environment in the cloud. PaaS is designed to support the complete web application lifecycle: building, testing, deploying, managing, and updating for anything from simple cloud-based apps to full enterprise solutions. Whereas in IaaS virtualization, servers, storage, and networking are taken care of by vendors; in PaaS runtime, middleware and operating systems are also taken care of by the vendor.